Snuggled up on the sofa with your sweetie at the end of a long day of holiday preparations, gazing at flickering candles, listening to softly playing holiday music and slowly sipping luscious, soothing Blackberry Cordial....

If this little scene sound appealing - prepare for it NOW by picking all those fat, juicy blackberries ripening quickly in the warm August sunshine and making your very own Blackberry Cordial. Believe me - making Blackberry Cordial is as easy as pie! Actually way easier than pie!

In many Northern European cultures, preparations for the winter holidays often begin during the late summer and fall harvest season by laying aside or preparing traditional foods to be enjoyed at special holiday meals. This is the first in a series of posts sprinkled throughout the coming harvest season featuring a special recipe using fresh fruits or vegetables harvested and preserved to serve at holiday celebrations. My secret pesto torta recipe revealed! You are going to love this colorful, savory, yummy spread for crackers or baugette rounds. My friend Heidi and I make torta together every August.